"Zen and the Art of Landscaping" is a 17-minute live action short film back from 2001, so this one had its 15th anniversary already last year. It was written and directed by David Kartch, a prolific editor in fact, and this one here is his only effort as the "man in charge". This is a bit disappointing though as this was a pretty good watch, occasionally great even. Well maybe there were 1 or 2 scenes in here that felt not too great subjectively like the ending or the gay kiss, but everything else was quality entertainment. The actors were all spot-on, the script was funny and it did not hurt the film at all that it was a really unrealistic story as honestly the lack of realism is exactly what the comedy was based on. If you think, it's scandalous enough already that the wife asks the lawnmower man inside the house with obviously sexual intentions, then wait what is about to happen next. A pretty hilarious little movie and each and every new revelation had me more and more in stitches. Like I said, such a pity that Kartch did not become more prolific as a filmmaker for this one here had moments where it was close to greatness and one of the finest short film works of 2001. I am not surprised this one gained a pretty solid deal of awards attention. Go check it out.
7 Reviews
Smart and funny.
acebannister9 September 2001
"Zen and the Art of Lanscaping", written and directed by David Kartch is a short film about a young man named David (his friends call him Zen) and what transpires in one strange day of his life. Zen works as a lanscaper for an upper-middle class family. The lady of the house tries to get Zen to help her cheat on her husband. Unfortunately, her son walks in on them instead of her husband. From this point on the movie starts to speed through many revelations between the characters along with the eventual involvement of the man of the house. "Zen and the Art of Landscaping" is witty, smart and overall very well written. The comedic timing of the actors is also very strong. It's a fun, light movie that I would strongly recommend.
Hilarious!
headshot694 July 2003
I missed the first few minutes of this film as I was channel surfing, but I stayed and laughed myself silly. Very, very funny, and clever, short film.
Watch it if you can - the twists will make you cry with laughter :-)
Watch it if you can - the twists will make you cry with laughter :-)
Funny short film
javirafter18 February 2002
Screening as part of a series of funny shorts at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras film festival, this film was definitely a highlight. The script is great and the direction and acting was terrific. As another posting said, the actors' comedic timing really made this film. Lots of fun.
Short and sweet
possiblyaspoon11 October 2003
Great little short film that aired a while ago on SBS here in Aus. Get a copy if you can - probably only good for a few viewings, as you'll end up remembering the script - and it's the twists that make this film so funny. Well directed, and intriguingly scripted, it's an example of just how good low-budget short films can be.
Pandora box
Kirpianuscus31 March 2019
A dysfunctional family, a gardener becoming source of revelation of too many secrets, not comfortable comedy and a decent story. A nice short film, dramatic and seductive, proposing, in essence, nothing new but giving a smart manner to see the relations in a happy, at the first sigh, family and the error of a woman to challenge her husband.
A strange take on life family.
cmyklefty29 November 2001
I saw this film in April 2001 at my local film festival before the main feature(The Way I Look at You: Five Stories of Driving School). Zen is a landscaper who unwilling gets involved with a suburban family's problems. This film would be a perfect companion piece to a David Lynch film than a movie documentary about driving school. I really enjoy this short and funny film.
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